Forcing his hand
by SaxGurl
Summary: When Henry VIII is confused about his feelings, what will happen if he is forced to spend more time with Katherine of Aragon?   Rated T for possible future content. Some A/U. Based more strongly on history rather than the Tudors tv show.
1. Chapter 1

"I HAVE TO DO WHAT?" King Henry VIII was not pleased. Not in the least. Here he was, trying to obtain a divorce from that woman, appealing to Rome to have his marriage annulled, and his advisors come in, demanding that he return to her bed.

"Your majesty, it is only for the sake of appearances. While the representatives from France are here, you must continue to act as though you continue to be married to the queen. In every way," said Wolsey, already wondering if this was a wise to carry this particular piece of news to the king.

Thomas More added, "Majesty, you have said that, should Rome declare that your marriage to Katherine is legal, you would happily return to her. Here is your chance to prove this."

Henry remained silent, not knowing how to argue this point. He couldn't believe that he, the KING of England, Ireland, France and Wales, was being forced to do this. With a frustrated sigh, he turned on heel and stalked into his private chambers.

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><p>He sat at his desk, seething. He didn't want to share anything with her, that woman who called herself his wife. Every moment he spent with her was difficult, because he still cared about her. She was still is Catalina, that girl who waited seven long years for him. The woman who stood beside him at his coronation – THEIR coronation. She had borne him nine children, and loved and cared for Mary, the only one to survive infancy, the pearl of his world. Whenever she looked at him, all he could see was the pain in her grey eyes – the pain of so many lost children, of separation from their daughter, of being deserted by the man she had married almost twenty years earlier.<p>

He had never wanted to hurt her. Not like this. He needed a male heir, preferably more than one. He thought Katherine understood that. Katherine, whose own brother had died, leaving Spain in the hands of her sister's foreign husband. Katherine, who had married the Prince of Wales only to see him die and be succeeded by his younger brother. And married that brother.

And there was the problem. She had married her dead husband's brother. The book of Leviticus forbade such a marriage. Why couldn't she see that? Why did she have to insist on being so stubborn? If she'd just agreed to step down, Henry would have let her retire anywhere she chose. She could have seen Mary as often as she pleased. Neither of them would be stuck with this situation.

Suddenly, a knock at the door jolted Henry from his thoughts.

"Enter"

In walked a messenger, carrying a slip of paper. Henry took it from him. Just as he was about to tear the seal off, he was overcome. The paper smelled like her. That beautiful mixture of rosewater and lemon and he didn't even know what. That same smell that clung persistently to the pillowcase on the right side of his bed, that instantly brought to mind flashes of red-brown hair flying as they danced, that radiant smile, the beautiful peal of her laughter … Every memory of Katherine that he just couldn't seem to forget.

Shaking his head, he forced himself to open and read the note.

_Dear Henry,_

_I hope that you are well. I was expecting to see you at mass this morning, and was worried that you might be somehow indisposed._

_If you are able, it would please my heart to have you join me to sup this evening, in my chambers._

_I shall wait for your response._

_Yours always,_

_Katherine_

That stubborn woman. Continuing to care about him, even when all he did was ignore her. Nonetheless, dinner would be a good opportunity to discuss being forced to share a bed. Henry grabbed a sheet of parchment and a quill, pausing for some time, considering how to respond, before quickly writing his response and sending the messenger away with it.

_Eight o'clock_

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><p><strong>Hope you enjoy this. It's my first fanfic, so any reviews or advice would be great!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

Katherine of Aragon sat in front of the mirror, her ladies gathered around her, preparing for dinner with the king that evening. They flitted about, fixing her hair, trying different pieces of jewelry, chatting amongst themselves. Behind them, men laid a table with a sumptuous meal and settings for two.

"Your majesty, would you prefer the rubies or the pearls?"

"Did you see the mistress Anne at the ball the other night? Oh, her rubies were dazzling. They glowed in the candlelight, illuminating her whole face, looking like small pieces of fire," whispered one of the ladies standing by the wardrobe, fetching both pieces of jewelry.

Overhearing the girl's comments, Katherine took a moment before replying to the posed question, eventually saying "I will wear the pearls. They were a gift from his majesty, and it is only right to wear them when he is sure to be present."

Only moments after fixing the pearls around her throat and the matching set in her ears, the door was flung open. Her majesty's ladies flew back against the wall, watching the king stride confidently into the room. He stood momentarily in the doorway, taking a moment to take in a sweeping look around the room. His eyes landed upon the queen, who slowly rose from her seat in front of the mirror, turning to face him. He had steeled himself for this moment ever since being unnerved by the smell of her. He held her gaze for a moment, before turning and walking to his seat at the table, his back now to the queen.

Katherine sighed softly to herself before dismissing her ladies and joining her husband at the table.

"It pleases me greatly to see your majesty looking so well, and I am glad that you were able to join me this evening," she ventured, unsure of how to act around this cold, hateful version of her husband.

"I am well. Why should I not be?"

"When you missed mass, I merely thought-"

"Madam, I am king, and if I would prefer hunting in the morning to attending a church service, then I am damned well allowed to do that!"

"Of course my lord. Was it a good hunt?" responded Katherine, taken aback by his stinging tone.

"Very. The venison before you comes from a stag that I brought down this very morning. All who joined me had a grand time. The falcon belonging to the lady Boleyn caught a magpie" Immediately, he regretted mentioning Anne Boleyn to Katherine. Ever the picture of composure, the hurt flashed only briefly in her eyes before she recovered. But it flashed long enough for Henry to see it, and for his guilt to bubble up.

Switching to a kinder tone, he asked, "And how was your day?"

"It was good my lord. I received a letter from our daughter today."

Glad to be able to discuss the one thing they still had in common, Henry eagerly asked "And how is our Mary?"

The light returned to Katherine's eyes as she related the stories that Mary told her. "She says that she is well, and tells me that she is now able to play all of Pastime with Good Company on her harpsichord. She writes entirely in flawless Latin, and asks if she may join us at court for the visit of the French representatives."

Henry did not miss the change in Katherine as she discussed their daughter. A small part of him wanted to keep that light in her eyes, no matter what it cost him.

"I'm sure that it can be arranged for her to be present during that visit. Although the dignitaries arrive next week, I believe that Mary can be summoned by then."

Elated, Katherine's entire face lit up with joy.

"Oh Henry, this is wonderful. It has been far too long since our daughter has been with us here at court. I shall send a messenger immediately to inform her. She'll be so excited to be able to come and to see both of us."

"I too look forward to seeing my pearl. Court is always a happier place when she is present. And it will present a certain unity to the French, don't you think?" asked Henry, trying to figure out how to say what he next wanted to.

Confused by her husband's sudden desire to appear united with her, Katherine cautiously responded, "Yes, of course my lord."

"This is especially important, especially in the face of the French, those rotten Valois. In fact, it has been suggested to me that it would be effective to present a fully united front. For the duration of this visit, you will appear at my side, as my wife and queen. I have been told that it would be a good idea for us to dine together, and for you and I to retire to the same rooms at night."

"If your majesty believes that it is the best course of action," demurred Katherine, intent upon not showing her surprise or elation that her husband would agree to such an action.

Something in Henry snapped. He could not let Katherine think that this changed anything, for it would hurt so much more at the end of the visit when he returned to ignoring her and hunting with Anne.

"No Katherine, I do not think that it is the best course of action. The best course of action would be for you to accept the inevitable, retire to a nunnery and let me get on with my life! But since you are too damned stubborn to do so, I am reduced to this. Lying to the bloody French so that I don't appear weak! And mark my words woman, at the end of their visit, all will return to normal." Suddenly, all his annoyance came streaming out, unleashing itself upon Katherine, taking this happy moment away from her.

Katherine spoke quietly, the dynamic doing nothing to hide the steel behind her words, "That, Henry, is something I cannot do. I cannot accept these demands. To do so would render our beautiful daughter a bastard, would force me to sin, would allow your soul to be eternally damned. And that, Henry, I cannot live with."

Frustrated, he threw up his hands and stalked to the door, knocking his chair over in the process. As he was about to leave, he paused and turned to face her, "Well woman, whether you can live with it or not, you will never again live with me as husband and wife. You WILL appear by my side while the French are here, but the moment they leave, you will remove yourself to the farthest reaches of the palace. I will not abide by your stubbornness any longer," he spat out, turning on his heel and leaving the queen alone in her rooms. But not before he saw her, kneeling in a curtsy that showed only devotion.

Katherine maintained her position, head downcast, until she heard her outer chamber doors slam. Knowing that her ladies would be back in a matter of moments, she staggered to her feet and went over to her prie dieu.

And there her ladies found her, kneeling at the small altar, eyes firmly closed, lips moving in silent and constant prayer, the fingers of one hand ghosting over the beads of her rosary, the other firmly placed on her midsection. Praying for a miracle.

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><p><strong>Woo, the writing is flowing. Don't know how long this pace can be kept up but still ... Hope you enjoy. Please review :)<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

After their argument, their Royal Majesties more or less kept to themselves. Katherine watched from the window as Henry rode off almost daily, laughing merrily with his men, Anne Boleyn on the back of his steed. The sun glinted off of his red hair, reminding Katherine of the many times it had been her fingers running through those strands.

But at the end of the week, banners were seen riding towards the castle. Katherine was overcome by joy, knowing that these were the men accompanying her precious daughter as she returned to court. Eager to spend as much time with her daughter before the French dignitaries arrived, Katherine hurried down to meet them.

Henry too saw the banners, riding towards his castle. No matter his frustration with the Queen, he still loved their daughter very deeply and could not wait to see her. He decided to go down and meet the traveling party, and escort the little princess from her litter.

In their haste, neither considered what the other might be doing. When she arrived in the courtyard, Katherine was surprised to see Henry standing there, waiting. She considered returning to her chambers and waiting for Mary to be brought to her, but did not want to miss a single second with her daughter. And perhaps, she thought, being together as a family would remind Henry why a divorce was unthinkable.

Henry noticed nothing of his wife's arrival, so intent was he upon trying to catch a glimpse of the litter carrying his little girl. He would not have noticed anything until Mary was in his arms if it weren't for the hand that came to rest on his forearm.

"Good afternoon husband. I see that you also could not bear to wait for our daughter to be brought to you," murmured Katherine.

"Good day Katherine. I simply thought to see Mary before she is brought away to be prepared to join us in welcoming the French dignitaries. If you want to be the one to greet her, however, I can leave," replied Henry as coldly as he could manage. He was excited to see his daughter, but not if it meant allowing Katherine to believe that they were going to be a family just as before.

"No, husband, do not leave on my account. I'm sure it would please Mary for both of us to meet her this morning. After all, we are both her parents, and it has been some time since she saw either of us," she answered, not wanting to deny Henry the chance to see their daughter as well.

If the king had any objections to this situation, he did not have time to voice them. Just as Katherine finished speaking, the litter bearing the Princess's seal was brought to a stop behind her leading horses.

Any composure on the part of either of their majesties was forgotten as they flew to the litter. Henry flung aside the hangings, and scooped his little girl out and up into his arms.

"Ah, Mary, _tu as grandis tellement. Tu es presque une madame!"_

Mary giggled before replying, "_Non papa, je n'ai pas grandis tellement que vous avez dis! Mais je vous ai manqué beaucoup pendant que j'etais sans vous!_"

"Oh Mary, I've missed you too!" sighed Henry as his daughter buried her face in his shoulder. Looking over the top of her head, he caught sight of Katherine, seemingly unable to move from where she was rooted to the cobblestones. "But Mary, do you know who has missed you just as much?"

"Who Papa?"

"Your mother. She has been waiting to see you for a very long time. Why don't you go say hello to her?" suggested Henry, placing Mary gently on the ground and turning her towards where Katherine stood, waiting.

"MAMA!" shouted Mary, running at full pace and throwing herself into her mother's outstretched arms. Katherine had kneeled down the moment Mary's feet hit the ground, and when the little girl was caught in her arms she held her close, picking her up and burying her face in the little girl's hair.

"Mary, _mi preciosa_. I'm so glad you're finally here. Oh, my little girl, how I've missed having you here, with me." As she spoke, tears ran quietly down her cheeks, getting absorbed by her daughter's long, red hair. The little girl looked up, her eyes meeting her mother's.

"Mama, don't cry. This is a happy moment. I'm here at court with you and Papa, and we're going to have a wonderful time!"

"Yes, we will," interrupted Henry, striding to join his wife and daughter. Placing one hand on Mary's hair, he continued, "but for now, Mary, you need to go and change. The French dignitaries will be joining us shortly and there is to be a banquet to welcome them. And I think that you are old enough to attend."

"Yes Mary, your father's right. You run up to your rooms, and I'll be up in a minute to help you dress. Does that sound all right with you?"

"Yes Mama. It sounds perfect! I'm so excited to attend a banquet with you and Papa!" With that, she flung out one arm to pull her father into the embrace. The faces of the king and queen were forced together, creating the closest physical contact they'd experienced in months.

Breaking the embrace, Katherine turned to put Mary down. But as she did so, Henry turned to face them. As both heads were turned, their lips brushed against each other, a reminder of the kisses that they used to share.

Of course, the little girl noticed nothing, and turned back to grab her mother's hand.

"Come along Mama, I need to get changed for the banquet!"

Flustered by what had just occurred, Katherine shook her head and hurried after her energetic daughter, leaving Henry alone in the courtyard, staring after them.

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><p><em>Note: The French exchange between Henry and Mary can loosely be translated to:<br>"Mary, you have grown so much. You are practically an adult woman!"  
>"No Papa, I haven't grown as much as you say! But I missed you very much while I was apart from you"<em>

**I've got the first couple of chapters for this in my head, but don't be expecting rapid-fire updates like this for very long.  
><strong>**As always, thanks for reading, and I'd appreciate any reviews or comments :) **


	4. Chapter 4

At the banquet, Henry and Katherine sat side-by-side, doing all that they could to avoid interacting. Katherine could still feel the sensation of her husband's lips upon her own once again, but she dismissed it as an accident. Nothing was going to interfere with her enjoying every second of Mary's visit to court. Not even her own confusion about Henry's feelings.

Henry, for his part, was thrown by what had occurred that afternoon. When their lips had met for that brief second, it simply felt _right_. Not romantic, not something he'd missed, just comfortable, as though that was where his lips truly belonged. But, as he reminded himself constantly, it didn't matter. God WAS punishing them. Katherine could no longer bear children, and what Henry needed more than anything, more than comfort, was a male heir. With that in mind, he decided to revert to his old ways of ignoring his wife's presence.

This worked well throughout the majority of the meal. Henry kept himself occupied with the visiting dignitaries, while Katherine distracted herself with Mary's constant stream of chatter. It worked well, that is, until it was time to open the dancing.

It was tradition for the King and Queen to open the dancing at any banquet. Recently, however, the Queen had either been absent from the proceedings, or Henry arranged for the dancing to be opened through the aid of a masque, allowing him to dance with whomever was lucky enough to be rescued by the "tall, handsome stranger". And all year, he had arranged for Anne Boleyn to be that damsel.

But this evening, there was no such entertainment to protect him. Just the musicians warming up and his wife seated to his left. With a heavy sigh, he rose from the table, offering his hand to the Queen.

Katherine lightly placed her own hand upon his, and allowed herself to be led to the dancefloor. She could not remember the last time she had opened the dancing with her husband. She had not prepared for this, and worried that the opening dance would be one that she did not know. Thankfully, the orchestra struck up a stately pavane, one that had been used for their majesties on a number of occasions. Katherine allowed herself to be carried by the music, and quickly found that she still enjoyed dancing very much.

At the end of the pavane, however, Katherine curtsied to the king, and the two separated, each bringing a new partner onto the dance floor. Katherine led one of the Frenchmen out and smiled beguilingly at him, looking ten years younger than she had when she walked into the room that evening. On his part, Henry went and grabbed the lady he most wanted to dance with.

"Milady, may I please have the honour of dancing with you?"

Giggling, his chosen lady replied, "Of course. You know I will always dance with you Papa!"

As the night wore on, Katherine returned to her seat at the table, watching the dancing. It warmed her heart to see Henry showing off their daughter so proudly. It reminded all present who the king's rightful child was but, to Katherine, it proved that Henry still cared for what the two of them once shared.

As such, it was regretfully that Katherine made her way back into the throng of dancers and scooped her daughter out of the king's arms.

"Mary, it is very late, and time that you went to bed. Say good night to Papa, then make your way upstairs."

"But Mama, it is a very special night!"

"Mary, come now. I'll even go up with you. I can tell you a story that my mother told me. Would that be all right?" asked Katherine, preferring not to remain at the festivities once her daughter was gone and her husband turned to Anne Boleyn.

"I suppose. _Bonsoir Papa. Merci pour danser avec moi!"_

"Good night my pearl."

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><p>Henry whirled and danced for a few dances after Mary left. He even managed to sneak in a few with Anne, and loved every second of them.<p>

But before he could get too caught up in the festivities, his friend and advisor, Sir Thomas More, pulled him aside.

"Your majesty, I'm sure, remembers what we discussed last week?"

"Yes Thomas, of course I do. I'm just enjoying my evening before going up to the Queen's cold bed," replied Henry, somewhat resentfully.

"Forgive me, sire, but I believe you should join the Queen sooner rather than later. She retired hours ago, and it will seem strange for you to follow her so much later," replied More, nervous to anger his master.

"Fine. I will go to bed now, like a child. But believe me, Thomas, tomorrow, when the Frenchmen join me on a hunt, I shall do whatever I please. No matter what you and the rest of my advisors think!" And with that, Henry turned on heel and stormed from the room.

Not wanting to go straight to Katherine's chambers, where he knew she would want to again tell him how their marriage was legitimate and how he should stay with her, he decided instead to go to Mary's chambers, and check on her.

As he pushed the door open, he was surprised to find the room still dimly lit. Pushing the door open further, he saw that the light was there for the one person he wanted least to see. There, smilingly slightly sadly at the Princess's sleeping form, sat the Queen.

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><p><em>Wow, this is just flowing! Expect more chapters over the next couple of days, then probably a long dry spell.<br>As always, thanks for reading, and please, PLEASE, review. Good or bad, I want feedback :) _


	5. Chapter 5

King Henry VIII stood there, rooted to the spot. He had no desire to disrupt Katherine, for he knew how she treasured every second that she had with their precious daughter. Neither did he want to retire to the rooms he was to share with her for the entirety of the French visit, for he knew that he would not be asleep by the time Katherine joined him, and he was in no mood for another of her explanations as to why their marriage was valid.

Katherine, queen of England and infanta of Spain, sat on the edge of her daughter's bed, oblivious to the presence of her husband. She was entirely fixated upon Mary, not wanting to miss a second with her. Mary truly was the perfect child. So accomplished, and growing lovelier each day. Katherine was struck by how much Mary could be like her father. She had the same red-gold hair, the same infectious enthusiasm for everything, even something similar about how she stood. It pained Katherine that all of this couldn't be enough to satisfy Henry. She yearned to give him another child, a son, to fulfill his deepest desire. But she knew that giving them only Mary must be a part of God's plan for them, and she only wished that Henry could bring himself to accept whatever the Lord had in store for them.

"Oh, I'm sorry your majesty. I didn't realize that you were here!" exclaimed a maid come to put out the fire in the princess's chambers. She quickly turned on heel, not wanting to disturb their majesties any more than she already had.

Katherine jerked upright, surprised by the maid whom she assumed was speaking to her. She was in for a greater surprise, however, when she saw her husband standing in the doorway.

"Henry, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were there. I didn't mean to stop you from seeing Mary," stammered Katherine, not wanting to cross her husband in any way.

It pained Henry to think that he had done that, had turned Katherine into someone so nervous that she would think that he didn't want her to spend time with their daughter.

"No Katherine, I would never begrudge you any time spent with Mary. I had simply come up to look in on her before retiring. I had thought that you would already be asleep. When I saw you there, I didn't want to disturb you."

Katherine rose from Mary's bed and, with one last look at her sleeping daughter, swept past Henry. In that moment he could see the flickering fire reflecting the tears in her eyes. He made as if to reach out to her, then pulled his hand back, unsure of what he was doing.

"I shall retire now my lord. You are welcome to join me in my chambers whenever you see fit," intoned Katherine, wanting to leave before Henry could see just how deeply it hurt her that he pulled back, that he had not joined her by their daughter's bedside.

Henry stared after her, unable to make himself follow her. He had no desire to join her in bed, for he knew that he would never hear the end of it from Anne if he did. He instead turned and made his way to his daughter's bedside.

There, he was transfixed by Mary's beauty. He noted with pride her Tudor-red hair. She was a beautiful child, a true English rose. He was struck, however, by her resemblance to her mother. Her skin was pale, but not in a sickly way. He knew that when she was awake, her lovely almond shaped eyes were a soft grey, the very image of Katherine's. And the little girl was petite, and unlikely to grow tall as she aged. He laughed to himself, thinking of the number of times he had teased Katherine about her height, drawing a sweet laugh from her. He missed her laugh, and the way that her eyes would sparkle up at him …

Henry shook his head. No more of that! He had to divorce Katherine, for the sake of his dynasty, for the sake of his PEOPLE. He had to have a son. There was no alternative. Katherine had not borne a living child since Mary, and only one stillborn in the six years since Mary's birth. Anne Boleyn was young, beautiful, and a daughter of both the Howards and the Boleyns, families full of strong men. SHE would be able to give Henry what he desired, and what he needed. If only Katherine could see reason.

Noting the chill creeping into the air, he was struck by how much time had passed. It was late, and he was tired. With a sigh, he turned to go to the Queen's rooms. But he went with a heart steeled by the deep, driving need for a healthy, living son and heir.

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><p><strong><em>Sorry for the long delay on this one ... I caught a case of writer's block, and then midterms came along, and I just neglected this somewhat. I promise to try for weekly updates from now on!<em>**

**_As always, hope you enjoy it. Please review! I have a path for this story set in my mind, but I love to get your feedback!_**


	6. Chapter 6

When he walked into the Queen's chambers, Henry found himself alone with his wife. Katherine, it seemed, had dismissed her ladies once she was prepared for bed. He was surprised by the fact that she did not acknowledge his arrival. In the past, she would have at least looked up, smiled at him, done _something_. But not tonight. Tonight, she did not look up from the bible in her hands.

Henry cleared his throat, announcing his presence in the room. Katherine merely raised her eyes and saw him standing there before returning to her reading.

Thrown by her strange behavior, Henry was unsure of what to do. He, who had entered the room intent upon ignoring Katherine, did not know how to react to being ignored.

"Good evening again Katherine. I had thought you would be asleep."

"Clearly, my lord, you did not delay long enough," replied Katherine, her eyes never once leaving the pages in front of her.

"No, I – That is, I … Well, I shall just change and then we can both retire," Henry managed to reply.

"As you wish, you majesty."

When she did not continue, Henry turned away, confused, and changed into his nightshirt. The whole time, he tried to understand what had prompted the change in his wife who, until now, had taken every opportunity to argue her case before him. What he did not know was that Katherine was just exhausted, physically and mentally. She had been fighting with Henry for so long. She knew she was right, that a child such as Mary could never have been born of sin, but for tonight, she simply wanted to rest. Rest with her husband at her side, as he should be.

A dip in the bed announced the king's presence there. Katherine shifted over slightly, making sure that he had ample room, and returned her bible to the bedside table.

"Would your majesty like me to put out the candle?"

"In a moment Katherine. First, I have something to say"

Katherine turned so that she was fully facing her husband, wondering what he could possibly have to say that he hadn't already said.

"Before you do, I just want you to know that I don't want to fight. Not tonight. Just for this evening, Henry, can we just share a bed and pretend that this isn't happening?"

"Katherine, you know I can't just pretend that I do not need an heir. You know that this country needs a man and I will not leave the country in the hands of whichever foreign prince our daughter marries. The English people do not take kindly to foreigners telling them how to run their lives. It is not for any lack of love for you, Katherine, that I do this. This country needs an heir, and God will not grant me one, not while I am married to my brother's wife."

"So you will abandon me, leaving me in whichever draughty manor you see fit, making our beautiful daughter a bastard, all while you carry on with your whore? Do you really expect me to accept that Henry?"

"Madam, Anne Boleyn is no whore. She will not lie with me until we are legally wed, and when we are, she will bear me many bonny princes."

"Or so her relatives have whispered in your ear. Do you really think that marrying the whore-sister of you mistress is really going to get you a son? You are enchanted by her and, like a child, want only what you cannot have!"

"The only thing I desire which I cannot have, madam, is a son born of a legitimate marriage. Our only son to survive more than a few hours died a month later. God will not grant us a son Katherine, because we are living in sin. Why can you not see that?"

"How do you know He will not? To my knowledge, you have to lie with your wife in order to beget sons. Unless, of course, you wish for an immaculate conception like that of Our Lady?"

"What is the point? It would just be a waste. Everyone knows that a barren woman cannot have children."

With these words, something inside of Katherine snapped. Quietly, she murmured, "I am not barren."

Misunderstanding her meaning, Henry replied, "All right, you have borne children. One of them remains alive. But Katherine, that has all passed. I wish it were not so, but you must accept it."

"I AM NOT BARREN!" yelled Katherine of Aragon, Queen of England and daughter of their most Catholic Majesties Ferdinand and Isabella, "I AM PERFECTLY ABLE TO PRODUCE A CHILD. I BLEED STILL!"

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><p><em>Again, sorry for the delay. I had this written, then realized that I wanted to do it slightly differently. Hopefully you enjoy! I hope to have another chapter up within the next week.<em>

_As always, thanks for reading, and for the awesome reviews. They mean so much to me! Let me know what you think of this latest chapter :)_


	7. Chapter 7

_"I AM NOT BARREN!" yelled Katherine of Aragon, Queen of England and daughter of their most Catholic Majesties Ferdinand and Isabella, "I AM PERFECTLY ABLE TO PRODUCE A CHILD. I BLEED STILL!"_

"You – you – what?" demanded Henry, thrown by his wife's outburst.

"Exactly what I just said to you husband. My courses are as regular as they were the day you married me. The day you took me, in intent and action, to be your true wife," was the reply from an obviously annoyed Katherine.

"But I was told – and you never said-"

"Said what, Henry? Told you that the Boleyns, Wolsey, all of the people surrounding you were lying? Would it have really made any difference to you Henry?"

"Katherine, please. You have to give me time. To be told that you can still have a child, that what I've thought for years, isn't true … well, it just takes time."

Instead of answering, Katherine sighed, blew out the candle, and lay down, facing away from the king.

"Don't turn away from me Katherine. I am still your king, and your husband. You will do as I command!"

"If you wish to act as my husband now, Henry, then by all means, go ahead. If, however, you desire only to continue to attempt to 'process this information', then I am tired and shall go to sleep. Good night," replied Katherine, tired of humouring Henry whenever he decided to invoke her duty due to him as her husband.

Henry, for his part, was completely taken aback by his wife's announcement, as well as by her uncharacteristic loss of temper. The woman he married was endlessly patient, who did not show her emotions even to the source of them. Not wanting to further disturb her, he settled back to sleep. But his mind was active with this new revelation and rest would not come.

Noticing that her breathing had evened out, he gradually sat up and looked down at Katherine. By the moonlight coming in from the window, he could see her face. In her sleep, void of all worries and stress, she looked younger and more relaxed than he had seen her in years. In fact, was it not for the faint tear tracks he could see on her cheeks, she could have been the Catalina of years past, asleep beside him after making love or imagining together their future, the children that they would have and the things that they would do as king and queen.

"Did I do that to her?" thought Henry. "Am I the one who destroyed that optimistic, relaxed Spanish Infanta?"

And what, he wondered, was he to do with the knowledge he had gained that night. Did he abandon his Great Matter, and Anne Boleyn besides, in the hopes of conceiving a child by his current wife? But she had failed so many times before, lost so many children. Who was to say that any new pregnancy would last, would result in a healthy son and heir? For there was no denying in Henry's mind that only a son, a strong boy, could inherit the throne.

As he settled back against his pillows, he imagined a healthy son to continue the Tudor Dynasty. Maybe even two or three, in case the ill chance that had befallen his father should also affect him. Strapping boys, athletic and poised, with his red hair and impressive build; he could picture them in his mind, running around the grounds at any of his palaces. Exactly the family he'd once imagined, planned even, with Katherine. Before allowing sleep to take him, he looked over at his wife's sleeping form. Perhaps, he thought, deciding how to approach this new matter, could be dealt with at morning's light, after he'd had a chance to sleep and truly consider the decision he was now faced with.

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><p><strong>Oh my goodness, I can't believe how long I left it before updating. If anyone is still tracking this story, I promise that I'll actually update with some regularity from now on. I just couldn't immediately get this chapter to work out how I wanted it to, then got distracted by exams, the holidays and the start of a new term. Then, honestly, I kind of forgot about it for awhile. I think now, though, I've got it kind of planned out, so I'll try for updates every week or so. I know this is kind of short, but I'd prefer to have my chapters somewhat self-contained, so most of them likely will be. If you're still reading this, thanks so much for your support and for putting up with me, and I look forward to reading your reviews and feedback!<strong>


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